1. Field of the Invention
This invention, pertains to a beverage dispensing valve having structure for and a method of providing for easy and rapid opening.
2. The Prior Art
Dispensing valves for premix carbonated beverage have become standardized in the last thirty years. The world standard is a premix dispensing valve developed by R. T. Cornelius which is subject of U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,170. A successful, competitive dispensing valve somewhat along the same basic lines was developed by H. J. Hansen and is subject of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,291,441 and 3,502,111. These valves have been and are the standards that are employed and seen throughout the world where premix carbonated beverages are dispensed by retailers.
A very successful low cost multiflavor premix carbonated beverage was also developed by R. T. Cornelius and is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,445. This valve is a world standard and has never been successfully challenged in the last twenty years. This valve is typically used in the bar business for filling mixed drinks and working behind counters. It is an expedient low cost device that dispenses slowly, does not have flow rate adjustment, and takes little space and is quite usable for low pressure and modest dispensing rates. It will not work satisfactorily in all environments, but suffices for specific applications.
Premix carbonated beverage is a complete beverage, just as is found in bottles and cans, which is packaged in bulk in metal tanks under pressure. The soft drink bottler treats his water and prepares and carbonates premix and fills it into the tanks. Premix is then distributed in these tanks while under carbonation pressure to the retailer. Premix beverages can be most readily seen at outdoor events where the tanks may sit outside in the sun, and in lower volume food retailers, and places where local water is bad so post-mix is not used.
Post-mix carbonated beverage mixes syrup together with cold carbonated water in the dispensing valve. The syrup and water are each pressurized at about 25 PSIG (1.76 Kg/cm.sup.2).
Draft beer is much like premix, but it is kept cold and has less carbonation. The typical pressure on draft beer is in the range of 7-12 PSIG (0.50-0.85 Kg/cm.sup.2).
Non-carbonated drinks such as are seen in the transparent vat dispensers, are given a pressure of one to three, PSIG (0.1-0.2 kg/cm.sup.2) at the dispensing valve, usually by a circulation pump.
Coffee, tea, chocolate drinks, milk and the like are usually dispensed under a gravity head pressure or line water pressure regulated down to 3-5 PSIG (0.2-0.35 (kg/cm.sup.2).
Premix carbonated soft drink is a unique beverage and it poses very difficult problems, some of which are not easily appreciated.
Very high CO2 pressures are required. At a room temperature of 70 degrees F. (21 degrees C.) the most popular beverages such as colas, lemon-lime and root beer require 60-70 PSIG (4.2-4.9 Kg/cm.sup.2), diet beverages require 50-60 PSIG (35-4.2 kg/cm.sup.2), and the low carbonation fruit flavors like orange require 30-40 PSIG (2.1-2.8 kg/cm.sup.2). The premix bar valve of U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,445 is seldom used for these variations in pressure because it is used only for the high carbonation popular beverages in the bar trade. This bar valve cannot accommodate the different propellent pressures. These room temperature pressures will many times not work at outdoor events. Premix beverage tanks typically set on hot asphalt in the sun and the temperature may go up to 140 degrees F. (60 degrees C.). Much higher pressures are required. A typical practice is to keep raising the storage and propellent pressure until the beverage stops foaming. Storage and propellent pressures over 100 PSIG (7.0 kg/cm.sup. 2) are quite common. The valve and valve seat areas in premix valves have to be kept large in order to give low flow velocities that do not give foaming of the beverage and the propellent pressure must be high enough to prevent loss of carbonation and foaming in the beverage lines.
It is relatively difficult to open a premix valve. Firstly, it requires a much greater force than required by post-mix or non-carbonated beverage valves, and secondly it must be opened completely and reasonably fast because when a premix valve is only partially opened, the beverage tends to foam and you cannot effectively fill a cup; you end up with a high percentage of foam and relatively low volumetric efficiency.
What is needed is force and quickness. These are relatively easy to provide for post-mix valves. A typical elctric post-mix valve has an actuator lever with a switch, and one or two relatively small solenoids that open small water and syrup valves against a nominal 25 PSIG pressure. The same situation applies more or less to non-carbonated dispensing valves.
Premix valves have been manually actuated by a top lever. The operator holds the cup in one hand under the valve and pulls the actuator lever atop the valve with the other hand, the same practice has been prevalant for beer valves.
The current preferred actuator for post-mix beverage dispensing valves is a downward extending lever that a cup is pushed against. This type of valve and actuator require the use of only one hand, and two cups can be filled at one time by a single person, specifically, a cup in the left hand and a cup in the right hand. This valve and actuator come in two species. The least complicated and costly has the lever connected directly to the valves so that there is a pure mechanical opening of the valve elements. The second version has an electric switch on the lever and one or two solenoids to open the valve elements. The major soft drink companies prefer the electric solenoid type valves because the push on the lever is less and lighter, less costly cups can be used, the opening and closing of the valve element is as fast as possible so that there is minimum foaming. The valves do not partially open or close and consequently foam, and electronic portion control can be used with solenoids.
However, just any solenoid cannot be used. A beverage valve must be low voltage, 30 volts or less to meet electrical codes. The maximum power available must be 75 VA in order to meet electrical codes. In order to have an economical electric-type valve, one transformer is usually supplied for six valves. The transformer provides enough power to open any three valves at a time. This has been difficult for post-mix valves but it has been achieved and is now routine practice.
This has never been successfully done on premix carbonated beverage dispensing valves. There are several reasons this has never been done. It takes a force of about 15 lbs. (6.8 kg) to open a Cornelius or Hansen premix valve. There is not an economical solenoid and transformer combination that can do this work and meet electrical codes.
The Booth company of Dallas, Tex., has been offered a premix valve with a lever that can be cup actuated but this valve has never been successful because the cup lever must be pushed with your fingers if disposable cups are used, and the valve structure is not suitable for other than specific environments. This Booth valve is not known to be subject of a patent.